Voices Across Eternity
by Omega Devin
Summary: Natural order, threatened by the forsaken Blood Magic. A valiant kingdom falling to a tyrannical general. Two warriors, four mages, theif, and assassin. One supreme destiny. AU
1. Prologue: Midnight

**Author's Note:** The original concept of _Bio Booster Armor Guyver_ and its characters belong to Yoshiki Takaya. This story and _its_ original concepts belong to me. Any references to the Final Fantasy game series belongs to Squaresoft Entertainment.

**Summary:** Natural order, threatened by the forsaken Blood Magic. A valiant kingdom falling to a tyrannical general. Two warriors, four mages, theif, and assassin. One supreme destiny.

**_This next part is very important, so please read before proceeding with the story_.** I started this fic about three years ago, but it never got any further than the prologue. It was the persistence of Jade Tatsu (author of _The Conquered_ and multiple one-shots) that made me resurrect it. Of course, now I have to try to remember the majority of the plot details that I've forgotten.

Before you continue, bare in mind that this is **_NOT_** your typical Guyver fanfiction, in any way or form, nor is it a mere crossover with another series. This is an Alternate Universe (AU) fanfic; for those of you not familiar with the concept, it means I have taken the characters and some of the initial concepts of Takaya's series and put it into a different world entirely. There are references to themes in the manga, but, simply speaking, this is the world of Guyver as it were to happen if you were to happen in a Final Fantasy-like world. Some aspects of the original manga will remain the same, while others will be drastically different. For example, Archanphel is not a bad guy; the only original Zoalord who is a villain in this story is Gyrot. With that said and done, if the previously stated does not sound appeasing to you, then leave now before you bother to flame me for it. If you read the story and still do not approve, fine, but I don't want any flames regarding my choice for Archanphel's role.

With that said and done, I hope that this fanfiction makes it way to completion. The storyline has been carefully planned out, for the most part, and so I know that it will not go to three chapters and stop. Keep in mind, though, I have several other stories that have priority before this, so updates may be few and far between.

OmegaDevin

Voices of a Distant Memory 

_Written by OmegaDevin_

Prologue Midnight 

For reasons unknown, it always seemed be raining when the world was destined for change. It was certainly raining the night that the Armor was stolen from the ancient ruins of Shadain Murai, at the base of forbidden Mount Minakami. It came down in solid, freezing sheets, as cold and as hard as steel, a never ending torrent only broken by the blinding flash of lightning shattering a raging gray sky.

In the cloaking darkness of the thick northern forests, the creature ran, thankful that the sound of the driving rains that hid the sounds of its heavy feet tramping through the forest brush, drowning out its heavy, blood-choked breathing. It was well aware of its injuries, the fatal gaping wounds in its body and the fact that its chasers were stronger and faster than it was, but it was all unimportant. All that mattered was that the creature had to get as far away from the ruins as possible, and as close to its final destination before its pursuers caught up with it and tore it to shreds. Clutching the precious cargo to its bleeding chest with malformed claws, it pressed itself onwards, ignoring the burning pain and the howling of the monsters chasing it.

They tore through the forest at impossible speeds, howling, snarling, the heavy scent of blood driving them into a lustful rage. Their heightened senses pulled them forward even through the blind darkness and the pouring rain. The thrill of the hunt and the promise of the kill urged them forward, as did the fear of returning empty-handed. If they returned without the Armor, then the blood of the escaped Lost Soul was not going to be the only blood spilt tonight.

Pain. There was so much pain burning its way down to the core of the creature's soul, tearing its hope and life apart as if it were a wild animal. Pain that could break the soul, but you could not break what had already been shattered. It was far too much pain and twisted agony for anything mortal to live through, but it was the Blood Magic running through its ruined veins that kept the Lost Soul alive…or the closest thing that could be considered alive. The heart still beat, forcing blood from the wounds in sluggish waves. The brain still commanded the lungs to breath and the legs to move, but this was the only "alive" that the creature knew.

In the crouched position it held near the base of a tree, the creature listened, trying to steady its own wet and ragged breathing against the pounding of the rain. They were out there, still. The mere din of the thunderstorm was hardly enough to stop them from hunting. It might have slowed them down, but sooner or later, they would catch up to it. The Lost Soul just had to hope that it could get as close to its goal before the hunters fell upon it with gleaming claws and gnashing teeth. Their noses were sharp, their hearing true, and their eyes in the darkness were ever bit as keen as it was in the light.

Senses as sharp and deadly as their claws and titanic strength. Even in the cover of the night and the storm, they would inevitably pick up on the scent of the pool of blood accumulating under the dying creature.

Ah, but what wondrous creations the Relic Beasts were! How perfect they were in design!

Perfect soldiers, obedient to their master and maker, the one who wielded the Blade of Chronos. Perfect warriors, able to understand any command and carry it out to their fullest extent and perfect precision. Perfect killers, able to drown anything in its own blood once the chase was over. Perfect mutineers, able to take down the most powerful kingdom in the world without the citizens of Llewelyn ever knowing until it was too late.

It was supposed to be a Relic Beast. It was supposed to succumb to the seduction of the Blood Magic, giving into the promise of power and treasure by giving into its own sinful lusts and desires, transforming it into a creature of sheer strength and unmatched power. Instead, the Blood Magic had been driven from its system by the very emotions that it despised, that made it recoil in disgust like a demon exposed to sunlight.

Guilt. Loyalty. Honesty. Love. Those very same damned emotions that caused the Blood Magic flow out of his body, leaving its vile taint behind. In its wake it left a deformed creature, its body burning with internal fire that began to break the soul apart at the seams, casting it into a downward spiral of pain and slow death and insanity.

The loss of the Blood Magic in mid-transformation…and a Lost Soul was born.

And then the Chronos Lord had found the Armor, the very relics that had enough untapped power to make the Relic Beasts and his own Blood Magic obsolete. Armor that would give him power to take on the Sleeping Lion single-handedly…and win.

But, at the same time, he had found the Armor that would be Llewelyn's last chance for survival, the kingdom's last hope to fight the Lord of Chronos and cast him back to the Hell where he belonged. That was why the Lost Soul stole the Armor away from the ruins of Shadain Murai, why it agreed with the shadow-cloaked man to take the Armor in the first place. Why it was doing this last risky, and very foolish attempt, to inadvertently seek revenge on the Chronos Lord for turning it into the pathetic mass of twisted flesh that it now was.

Broken promises. Broken dreams. Broken lives. The Lord of Chronos would not be allowed to claim the great kingdom of Llewelyn so easily.

A howl filtering through the driving rain. Inhuman growls against the thunder. The snap of a twig. Time to keep moving.

Perfect hunters. Prefect in every way. Damn them.

With a grunt of pain, the Lost Soul pushed itself up with burning muscles and pressed onward.

Even in the pouring rain and the roar of the thunder overhead, the Lost Soul heard the sound of the river, coming up fast before it. The river. Salvation. Beyond the river was where his employer would be waiting for the Armor, to take it further away from the Lord of the Chronos Blade. Then maybe, just maybe, the kingdom would have a chance to overthrow the Chronos Lord, and the king might awake so the Lion could take back his throne.

The Orvon River flowed before it; a massive waterway, bloated past it shores from the freak rainstorm, churned white and foaming from its violent and deadly rapids, standing out starkly from the blackness of its waters.

_Just south of the river…south of the Ruins…that is where I will waiting for the Armor. And you will be at last be rewarded with the release of your pain._

Then they were suddenly upon it, like wolves descending upon a wounded deer. Huge, monstrous forms that could dwarf even a giant of a man, all bearing claws and fangs from underneath thick mats of dark, rain-soaked fur, of from glistening hides of scales that gleamed wetly even in the darkness of the night. They circled the Lost Soul, snarling and growling louder than the thunder, blocking off any possible means of escape. But they did not attack. It was almost as if they were waiting for it to make the first move, waiting to see if it was really stupid enough to risk everything on one thoughtless move.

"You poor, pathetic fool." A voice rose slickly from amidst the growling creatures, sounding as if it were dripping in oil. Two of the Relic Beasts stepped aside, and from out of the shadows, a man appeared. A regular, unaltered man, wearing armor that gleamed a dull gold in the flashes of lightning. A hard, smirking face and pale, emotionless eyes were just visible from behind the sheets of rain. "Did you really think you had a chance at escape, Malmott, especially when taking something so valuable from underneath our Lord's nose? I actually should give you credit for making it this far without dropping dead the moment you set foot beyond the Ruins. Now, if you cooperate now and hand the Armor back, then your death with be quick and nearly painless, although I cannot guarantee it. You just know how dreadful it is having to chase after something in such ghastly weather conditions, and so I'm sure that your fellow Relic Beasts are in a particularly bad mood because of it. They might enjoy seeing you suffer for the trouble you put them through tonight."

"Go to Hell, Lisker." The Lost Soul snarled, its words and voice horribly mangled by a malformed throat choked with blood. "I would much rather die than to see the power of the Armor in the hands of a madman. Besides, Gyrot is no match for the Lion of Llewelyn. He will be crushed before he even has a chance to strike back."

Lisker laughed, a sound far more cruel and chilling than the howl of a Relic Beast on the hunt. "The Lion, huh? Had you not heard the rumors? The Lion is powerless against the Chronos Blade, reduced to nothing more than a mere vegetable by the Blade's power. He is no threat to our great Lord. Now…" Lisker's voice turned dark and dangerous. "The chase ends here. Hand over the Armor." He extended his hand, as if expecting the Lost Soul to placidly return that which he stole so easily. The Relic Beasts on either side of the human man growled threateningly, mixing and blending with the thunder.

The Lost Soul hesitated, but not with consideration for Lisker's words. It well knew that it had only two options left open to it. One was to refuse Lisker's "generous" offer and be torn to shreds on the spot. The Armor would be returned to the hands of the Master of the Blood Magic. The other option was the river behind it, which it knew would soon spill over into a monstrous waterfall further downstream that ended on jagged rocks below the tumbling torrents of water. Un-crossable. Nothing would survive that plunge to the frothy, black waters below.

The latter was better than handing the Armor over so easily to General Reichmann Gyrot.

Looking Lisker straight in the eye, the Lost Soul took a step back. Then another. A slight sense of self-satisfaction shone through the pain as panic bled into Lisker's expression as he realized what the deformed creature was planning to do.

"Stop it!"

But it was too late.

The Lost Soul leapt into the black abyss of the rain-swollen river, its body and the Armor alike swallowed into the churning depths. On the banks of the Orvon River, Lisker glared down to the spot where the creature disappeared, his mind in turmoil. He should have just killed the abomination where he had the chance. He had half-expected it to have fought back. Dead now as it might be, Lisker knew he was now in an even worse situation when he was in when he learned that the Armor had been stolen in the first place. At least when they were in the possession of the Lost Soul, he knew where the units were. Now only the river knew, and it was not going to reveal such information so easily.

"Well?" He snapped at the Relic Beasts still standing behind him. "What are you waiting for, fools? Find them or I will have you heads!"

The search went well into the night as the Relic Beasts scoured the banks at the base of the waterfall through the darkness and rain, searching for the units that had been lost for the second time in the same nightfall. After what must have been hours in the cold and rain, they had still found nothing, not even the mangled body of the head Lost Soul, and dawn was fast coming.

Standing on a stone from which he could observe the search, Lisker shivered and not from the cold. Gyrot was not stupid. He would have known that tracking down a malformed Lost Soul should not have taken so long. Something must have gone wrong if they had not yet returned with the Armor in hand. Gyrot would be disappointed with him.

And when Gyrot was disappointed, it would be made up for in blood.

There was a sudden grunt of surprise from one of the Relic Beasts, then a cry of something that could have been joy. One clawed hand rose triumphantly into the air. Clutched in the talons against the morning's gray dawn was a still dormant unit of the G-Soul Armor. Relief as Lisker had never known flooded his body as he leapt from the rock, snatching the armor away from the Beast when it held it out to him.

It might have only been one of the units, but it was better than returning empty-handed. Still…he knew how Gyrot thought. One was better than none, yes, but having all three would result in the best mood and the most promising reward.

"Round up the troops." Lisker barked sharply at the Relic Beasts. "The other units must be further down stream, but couldn't have gone very far. We're going after them."

"Into civilian territory?" One of the Relic Beasts growled, its voice and words distorted by a heavy muzzle full of sharp teeth. "We are at risk being seen."

"We are at even greater risk from facing Gyrot's wrath." Lisker took note in the fear that flashed through the animalistic eyes of the Beast. "They could not have gotten very far downstream, if we act now. Ten of you should be enough. Besides, if anyone should happen to see, then they won't be around long enough to tell anyone else now, would they?"

Muzzles and snouts pulled back into fanged smiles that could have given demons nightmares before retreating back into the forest. For a moment, Lisker considered returning with them, to return the one unit recovered, but then thought better of it. Chances are the Lost Soul had not stolen the Units on his own accord. Someone must have known about the treasures of Shadain Muri, and had wanted them before Gyrot had a chance to use the Armor for himself.

But who…and for what purpose…was still unknown to him. If they were to one who enticed the Lost Soul to retrieve the Armor, then it meant that they too would be looking for it had the package not been delivered.

If he was to find the remaining units, Gyrot would not need all three, right? Maybe it was not a bad idea to keep this one around…just in case.

Because he knew that in the wind, in the stars, in the very center of the world itself, the time of change was upon them all.


	2. Chapter Two: The Tides of Fate

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**Author's Note:** Wow. Never in a hundred years did I think I would pick this up again. It's only been, what? Three years? More? Less? Definitely more. I've been going back and forth with it. Was it worth picking up again? Would anyone read it? Would anyone even care?

In the end I decided fck it; I'm writing this for me, and that's what matters. When I go on dry spells with my original stories, fanfiction serves as a good way to fill to gaps. Keeps the gear grinding and prevents them from getting rusty. And the Guyver fandom must suffer for it.

Constructive criticism is welcome; however, I must implore that you do not flame me if you do not care for the story's content. If you don't like it, don't red it. It's a simple solution, and it saves time and energy on both our parts. Thank you.

**Chapter One**

The Tides of Fate

Ever since he was a child, Sho had always wondered what was on the other side of those mountains.

When he was a child, he and his best friend would talk for hours on the endless possibilities of what lie beyond the outskirts of Doblan, beyond the banks of the Orvon River and across the rolling granite peaks of the Ehcko Mountain Range. The stories they would dream up; the endless rein of adventures and mystery in the lands beyond their home, of fighting dragons and finding buried treasure and rescuing damsels in distress from atop high towers. He was nostalgic for the days of endless daydreaming, imagining a world outside schoolbooks and the low stone fences that marked the boarders of the sheep's grazing land, or the unending fields of corn and golden wheat.

But now was not a time for exploration or treasure hunting, or even for fantasizing about such tales of adventure. The flock had to be tended to, for now, and once he was done being the son of a shepherd, then maybe he could dream about such quests without being interrupted by the responsibilities of a standard, everyday life.

From the grassy knoll on which he sat upon, Sho snorted, shifting the shaft of sweet grass between his teeth from one side of his mouth to the other. _And maybe when that happens, the moon will fall from the sky and the Orvon will run dry. Even then, I think both of those have a higher chance of happening before anything exciting happens to me. At least Tetsuro and Mizuki have a chance escaping here…_

Sho sighed, finally taking his eyes off the grazing flock of white, wholly sheep to lie back on the grass, watching fluffy clouds coast slowly across a bright blue sky. He knew that there were chores to be done – there was always something to be done – but right now he did not feel like doing any of them. The garden still needed to be weeded and wood chopped for the fire that night, but it was too hot and humid to be doing any of it. He did not even want to begin thinking about the annual chore of sheering the sheep, which was going to be soon if the early season heat wave did not break.

However, it was not as if he had to rush to get through them for any particular reason. He did not have anywhere to be, nor did he have any appointments he had to keep. The world and time just seemed to slow to a crawl in this place, isolated from the rest of the world, bordered by the mountains and the river and containing them in their own little island of isolation from the rest of the world.

"Sho!"

The sound of his name being called pried Sho's eyes open. He was not aware that he had dozed off, but he was not surprised by it. Propping himself onto his elbows, he could not help but smile at the sight of his best friend, Tetsuro, crossing the green pastures to the place where Sho sat. It must have been later in the day than he thought, as well. Tetsuro was still wearing his long apprentice robes, which meant that he had just come the day's lesson. And for him to be moving so quickly in those heavy garments in the day's heat… He must have discussed something interesting today with his Masters.

"Your father said you would be out here." Tetsuro said as he took a seat next to the black-haired boy, pushing his round glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. "Don't you have work you should be doing?"

Sho shrugged, taking the shaft of grass out of his mouth. "Too hot today." He replied, lying back down. "And unlike some people I know, I actually have to be outside all day. Besides, if you can here to nag me, then you can save your breath. That job's been reserved for Mizuki." They both took a moment to laugh. It was, after all, pretty much true. "So, how was the lesson today?"

"Informative and interesting, as always." Tetsuro answered with a slightly excited tone to his voice. Sho could never understand why his friend was always in such a good mood after his lessons; while he was in school as a boy, he always found the lessons long, tedious, and extremely boring. But, then again, Tetsuro was learning a lot more than basic reading, writing, and arithmetic. "We began talking about the Faetes today."

Sho rose an eyebrow skeptically. "The Faetes? I thought you only dealt with facts in your schooling, Tetsuro."

"You don't believe the Faetes are real?" Tetsuro countered.

"Oh…I don't know. You only ever hear about them in stories."

"Then what about Summoners? What do you think they are, then, if there are no such things as Faetes?"

"Really powerful mages?" Sho said flatly as he pushed himself into a sitting position.

"You can't be serious." Tetsuro sounded slightly taken aback that Sho was treating the matter of the Spiritual Guardians being nothing more than a mere myth. "There are historical documents telling of the Faetes being used in battle to defend Llewelyn throughout the centuries. The Summoners are always the first called to the front line. The line between historical fact and myth is not always a solid one, Sho."

"Oh, I don't know. I've only heard of them from stories and such, seeing that the Summoners are the only ones who really have to deal with them – and there's only a handful of them every hundred years – it just doesn't seem like something that should concern anyone else. Including a rookie Red Mage."

Tetsuro grabbed a dirt clod off the ground and threw it at his friend. It struck Sho in the temple and exploded in a shower of powdered earth, lightly sprinkling his black hair with dust. "Who are you calling a rookie? Master Kobe says I'm bordering on obtaining my intermediate spells."

"Yeah…sounds great…"

Tetsuro blinked. The tone of Sho's voice was droll, distant…just overall very unlike Sho in general. "What's wrong, Sho? You seem out of it today."

"Oh, I don't know." Sho sighed, lying back down. "Just been doing a lot of thinking, lately."

"About Mizuki?" Tetsuro ventured, cocking an eyebrow knowingly.

Sho huffed. "No. For your information, this is one of the few times when you sister isn't on my mind."

"Not even after you chose to dance with Ricki Telbard over you at the Spring Solstice festival last week?"

"I wish you would stop reminding me about that…"

"Sorry. So, what is it you've been thinking about?"

"Well, nothing in particular, really. Mostly about how boring this place is. I mean, you have the chance to get away from here once your training and lessons are complete. While you're making something of your life by learning history and magic, I'm stuck here watching the flock." He tossed the shaft of grass out into the pasture where it stuck a ewe on the side of her flat head. She sniffed lazily at the piece of grass, then ate it.

The two friends remained silent for a very long time, watching the clouds drift by and the sheep graze in the lush green grass. Tetsuro felt unsettled. It was not like Sho to dwell on such issues. It was as if a dark cloud had passed over his usual bright and optimistic heart. He looked up, shielding his eyes against the sun. "Bloody hot today. Let's go down to the river bank and cool off."

"What about the sheep?"

"I don't think anything will happen to the sheep. Unless they start eating each other. Besides, you look like you could get out of the sun for a while."

Sho put a hand over his eyes and looked out to the flock. The sheep were still only bleating placidly, rattling their brass bells and eating grass without a care in the world. As gruesome of an image as it might have been, the mental picture of the lazy woolen animals starting to eat one another made Sho smile. "All right. Let's go."

Tetsuro got to his feet, brushing the grass off his robes before reaching one hand down to haul Sho to his feet. Together, they made their way down the slick, grassy slope that swept down to the grove of trees that shrouded the Orvon River from view. The shade was drastically cooler than the open field, and as refreshing as stepping into a pool of spring water. The woods surrounding Doblan were mostly composed of soft, green firs and white-barked birch trees, creating a comfortable, lush atmosphere that was the perfect place to come and just relax. As children, Sho and Tetsuro would be in these woods from sunrise to sunset, playing amongst the trees and tall, rounded granite boulders, acting out their make-believe adventures. Only a short walk away from the tree line the two friends heard the babbling of the Orvon River, the trees thinning away before the shores to reveal sun-washed banks hugging the crystal-clear waters. How many countless summer days had they spent on these banks, escaping from the heat of the season within the refreshing, cold water?

Tetsuro sat down on a mossy rock crop hanging over the river, removing his soft leather boots and dangling his feet into the water. Sho removed his shoes as well, rolling his slacks up to his knees, then picked up a flat rock on the banks and skipped it over the smooth, passive waters. "So what's been on your mind, Sho? You've been awfully distant lately, and getting further away all the time. Quite frankly, I'm becoming concerned. Mizuki's been noticing it as well."

Sho skipped another stone across the water before he straightened and sighed. "Oh… I don't know. Just been doing a lot of thinking. How far are you from finishing your Red Mage training?"

"Eh? Oh, I don't know. A while, probably. I mean, I haven't even learned my second-level spells yet, and they're only now teaching Mizuki the most basic white magic, so it'll be a long time before either of us will be close to being finished." He paused, only the singing of the cicadas filling the grove. "Why do you ask?"

Another stone skipped across the water. Five, six, seven times. Not bad. "What will you do when you're training's over?"

"Well, Master Kobe and Lady Aniall can only teach us so much while we're here. When they've taught us all they know, we'll probably head for Caer Llion and finish there…" Tetsuro trailed off, looking down at Sho, who was seeking out another pebble. "Is that what this is all about? Us leaving?"

The corner of the black-haired boy's mouth quirked as he tossed the new stone. This one only made four jumps before sinking.

"Sho…that's not going to be for a long time. I mean, we're only seventeen. Mages don't master their skills overnight, and Mizuki and I still have a lot to learn before we're even applicable to travel to Caer Llion. Even then, they might not accept us at all. Besides, if we do go, you know you're always welcome to come with us…"

"And do what? It's kind of hard to raise sheep in the city."

"So what's with the depressing thoughts all of the sudden?" Tetsuro asked after another moment's pause. "This is really unlike you, Sho."

Sho sighed again and threw the stone he was holding unceremoniously into the water. "Like I said before, I don't know. Just restless, I suppose. Something inside of me just really wants to get out, get beyond this town, at least, and see what this world has to offer. You and Mizuki, though… You both have the chance to do that. With your talents, you two can get out of here, but I…I have to stay here and watch the sheep, and unless they decide to up and leave the village, I'm pretty much stuck here."

Tetsuro frowned, but said nothing. It was strange to hear his friend speak like this. Sho usually wasn't one to dwell like this; at least not that he was of until now. He always seemed content with living in the present. Not happy, per sae, but never having anything to complain about. He also knew, even though his friend would never admit it, that he was thinking about Mizuki more and more as the secret that Sho had for Tetsuro's little sister grew. "So how does Mizuki play into this new anxiety?"

Sho whipped around, his black hair striking at his face, blue eyes defensive. "Will you stop it already? I told you before she has nothing to do with this!"

"Come on Sho, we've known each other since we were what, five?"

"Four and a half."

"See? You know you should be able to talk to me about anything. It's more than just the dance at the Spring Solstice, is it?"

Sho chewed his lip, looking over his shoulder briefly just to make sure there was no one lurking in the shadows. "Well…lately, Dad's been pressuring me into… erm…" He scratched the back of his head, muttering so low under his breath that Tetsuro almost missed it.

"Come again?"

"Marriage."

"Are you serious? You're not even technically a man yet!" Tetsuro exclaimed, standing up on his rocky ledge. Sho said nothing, but a strip of deep crimson was laid across his face. "Uh, well, you know what I mean. But still, _marriage?_"

"Don't get me wrong, it's not something he brings up all the time! He hasn't really even brought up _that_ word specifically, but I can tell that he's hinting at it. He's not nagging about it in a 'secure-the-family-line' kind of way. It's more of a 'I-want-to-see-you- happy' kind of way."

"What did you tell him?"

"Nothing. I act like I think he's talking about something else. Besides, I'm not ready yet, and don't plan on being ready for a while."

Tetsuro did not say anything immediately as he chose the right words, not wanting to upset Sho in his already anxious state. "Not ready…even though you have someone in mind?"

"Don't start with that, Tetsuro." Sho said dangerously. "It's not like I can just waltz up to your sister, hand her a bouquet of flowers and say 'Hey, we grew up together, will you marry me?'" The black-haired youth sighed, kicking at the river rocks under his feet. "It's not that simple. Besides, Mizuki only sees me as a friend. A friend and…nothing else…"

"Well, don't take it personally. I'm her older brother, and I know that Mizuki has no taste in men. Unless you step forward, I don't think she's be coming around on her own any time soon."

Sho laughed a little at that, but it was dry and forced. "Thanks for the consolation. At least I know I can always count on you being there."

"Hey, what are friends for? Don't ever feel as if you can't talk to me about…" His voice trailed off, and his eyes grew wide behind his glasses. "Sho…don't move."

A sort of cold dread settled in Sho's chest, wondering what could possibly be behind them that had suddenly spooked Tetsuro so badly. Trying hard to suppress the urge to whip around, he looked over his shoulder slowly to not attract the attention of whatever it was that had snuck up from behind.

Sho felt his blood run cold, his stomach turning over. Standing not more than a dozen paces behind them was an Ehcko wolf. Sho had only seen one once before, but that was over five years ago, and it had been dead, killed by a local woodsman when the half-starved creature wandered too close to Doblan. This one, however, was very much alive, its splotchy, red-gray coat and inch-long canines protruding from its mouth unmistakable. Sho felt his blood run cold, and desperately wished that he had something with him to fight the creature away if it got too close.

But the wolf was not looking at them. It did not even seem to acknowledge the presence of the two young men at all. Instead, it had it ugly snout turned down to the bank of the river, sniffing at something out of sight on the shores. "Tetsuro…what should we do?"

"Leave." Tetsuro whispered, slowly making his way down from the rock he had been seated upon. "Slowly though, we don't want its attention…" Sho nodded, not daring to take his eyes from the wolf, and took a tentative step backwards.

Curse his luck, there had to be a twig under his foot at that exact location.

The audible crack of breaking wood caught the attention of the wolf immediately, making its head snap up, sickly yellow eyes locking with the two youths. It growled, a deep, rumbling sound that sent a chill sweeping down Sho's spine. It stepped away from the river, the fur on its back bristling and standing on end.

Without thinking twice, Sho reached down and grabbed and handful of rock, chucking one at the monster with all his strength. It missed by several inches as the wolf took another threatening step forward. "Go away!" Sho shouted at the creature, tossing another stone at it. This one hit it squarely on the shoulder, making it hiss and snarl in rage, the muscles in the back of its legs coiling like tightened springs.

The temperature around them suddenly dropped rapidly, chilling Sho's skin and making him temporarily forget that it was summer. Small glowing particles appeared in placidly the air around him, floating like delicate faeries, and in a flash of blue light, a large chunk of ice slammed into the wolf, making it yelp and tumble to the ground. Bits of ice clung to its coat as it picked itself back up, confusion swimming in its eyes, but with a last snarl at Sho, it bounded off into the shadows of the forest.

Sho breathed a sigh of relief, then looked back at Tetsuro with one eyebrow raised. "Not bad. I take it that spell's new?"

"Blizzard. Just learned it last week." Tetsuro said with a note of pride in his voice. "That means that I have all the primary element spells now. Technically, I'm not allowed to used my Black magic outside of Master Kobe's instruction just yet, but desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Good thing too. I think it just saved our lives. Do you think we should tell people about this?"

"Of course we should. Ehcko wolves normally don't come out of the mountains. There could be more of them."

Sho nodded, his eyes returning to the spot where the wolf had been standing. "What do you think it was so interested in that it didn't see us?"

"Probably just a dead rat. Nothing worth looking into."

But Sho was never one to be satisfied with simple answers. He always had to look for himself. Part of him assumed that Tetsuro was right and it really was nothing more than a dead rat or possum or something like that, but curiosity always got the best of him.

When he was close enough to see what it was that had been so interested in, he was a little more than surprised to see that it was not a dead creature of any kind. In fact, it was something that Sho had never seen before in his life, wedged tightly between two rocks on the banks of the Orvon River. Frowning deeply, he knelt down and was able to free it from its rocky confinements.

The object – he could not even put a name to it – was about as big as a good-sized book but surprisingly heavy for its size. Sho peered at the object, turning it over in its hands. It was bound together in what looked like old pieces of iron, but when he ran his finger over it, it was almost…soft to the touch, like old, worn leather. It was holding within it coils of slick, dark material that swirled around to the center of the object, nestling within its core a shiny silver orb.

"Is that what it was looking at?"

Sho had not noticed Tetsuro approaching from behind; the sudden sound of his voice made him jump. "Y-yeah…I think so."

"What is it?"

"You mean you don't know?"

The larger boy shook his head. "Never seen or read anything about it." He looked down at the object, touching one metal plate with a finger, then shuddered, pulling away. "I don't like it. Neither of us knows what it is, so we should just set it back downstream or something…"

"It looks old. It might be valuable."

"Or dangerous."

"Will you lighten up?"

"Seriously Sho, this could be a weapon of some sort. A magical bomb, or something. How do we know it's not already activated?" Tetsuro eyed the object nervously, stepping away.

Sho frowned. It was not like Tetsuro to be this paranoid over such a little thing. Then again, he well knew Tetsuro's sever dislike of being caught in situations that he either did not know how to handle, or did not read about in a book somewhere. He held the object up to his ear, listening. "I don't hear anything. I don't think it's mechanical. And you can feel magical flows, right?"

Tetsuro nodded.

"Do you feel any coming off this thing?"

"No."

"Then, we have nothing to worry about."

"Still…it's probably not our place to deal with something like this. We need to take it to Master Kobe."

"You're right. It probably will be something he'd want to look at, anyway. Is he in?"

"No, he left for Nagi after lessons let out for the day. He won't be back until the day after tomorrow. So until then, one of us needs to hide it so no one else finds it."

Somewhere behind them, a twig snapped, and leaves whispered together as branches were moved aside by someone who was heading their way.

"Quick…" Tetsuro hissed. "Hide it!"

Sho fumbled with the object, looking desperately around him for a proper hiding place, and shoved it into the pouch that hung at his hip and out of sight as a petite, white-clad figure stepped out of the forest shadows and into the sunlight of the river banks. The object hung heavily at his side, but he forgot about when he saw who it was approaching them.

"There you two are!" Tetsuro's little sister said at the sight of her brother and his childhood friend, a slight note of annoyance in her voice. "Mother sent me to get you, Tetsuro, it's getting late. It figures you two would be in the last place that I checked." She flicked her short brown hair over her shoulder, looking at them both with disapproving eyes.

Even though they knew each other since they were children, Sho could never stop the blush that rose to his face whenever he saw Mizuki. She was a petite girl a year younger than he and Tetsuro, her soft brown hair whispering at her shoulders and large blue eyes always holding a mix of scorn and amusement in their depths. Today, though, there was something different about her, and it did not take long to pinpoint what it was.

A smile crossed Tetsuro's face as he temporarily forgot about the object that he and Sho had just found. "So, Mizuki…I see Lady Aniall finally gave you your new robes. Congratulations."

Mizuki giggled, then turned around in a small circle to show off her new garments, the snowy white linen bordered at the hems and cuffs by the traditional red White Mage markings. They were hardly as extravagant as the robes the village's veteran White Mage wore, but they were still a clear enough representation of where Mizuki would eventually be in her training further in the future. "Do you like them? Lady Aniall gave them to me today since she's been so pleased with my progress. Most White Mages in training don't get their first robes until they're beyond novices."

"Y-yeah…they look really great…" Sho stammered, fumbling with a long piece of bramble twig that he pulled from the bush behind him.

_Don't blush…don't you _dare_ start blushing…_

"Are you okay Sho?" Mizuki asked, her voice slightly laced with concern. "You're looking a little flushed."

"Oh…uh, fine, its just the heat, you know…" He bent the twig in half too far, and with the audible crack the wood snapped, making Sho hiss between his teeth as it lashed across his palm and leaving an angry red welt in its place. "Ow! Damn…"

Mizuki sighed, trying to sound frustrated, but she could not hide the small trace of sympathy and amusement there as well. "I swear, you are so clumsy at times. Let me see that…" She reached out for his hand. Sho flushed deeper, pulling it closer to him.

"No thanks, Mizuki, its fine…"

"But it might get infected. Besides, Lady Aniall gave me permission to practice whenever I need to, unlike my brother and anyone else studying Black Magic."

Tetsuro scoffed. "Not full Black magic. Its forbidden to train a full Black Mage within the Ehcko Valley, and you know it."

"Oh tish-tosh. I was only making a statement. Sho, let me see your hand."

Sho hesitated a moment longer, then extended his wounded hand and let Mizuki grasp it in her cool, delicate one, making blood rush to his face. Her touch suddenly became cooler, and Sho felt his skin tingle as a soothing sensation washed over him, making his eyes slightly droop and the pain in his hand greatly diminished. "There." Mizuki said, releasing his hand and looking proud of herself. "Better?"

Sho flexed his palm. The welt was gone, as was the sting, and he even felt slightly refreshed. "I…do. Thank you." He used his gratefulness as an excuse to grin like a fool then without worrying about covering it up, and it only grew wider when Mizuki smiled back.

"What are you two doing way out here, anyway?"

"Just trying to cool down. Hot day out, you know."

"Well, it's cooled down enough now that you can come home without melting. Mom needs some help her around the house before Papa gets home. Sho, your father asked me to find you too. He needs some help with the broken sheep pen, he told me to tell you."

Sho sighed, his shoulders slumping. He was supposed to fix the sheep pen earlier that day, had the summer heat not made him so lethargic. That meant he was probably going to get a lecture from his father when he got home. "All right. Lead the way, Mizuki."

Mizuki nodded briskly and turned to leave the forest. Tetsuro glanced at Sho sympathetically before following his sister, and just as Sho was about to follow them, he remembered the strange object that he and Tetsuro had found just before Mizuki arrived. It was still in his knapsack (not like it had anywhere else to go), and thankfully, Mizuki had not noticed how it bulged awkwardly. Should he leave it where they found it? Just drop it back in the river and not look back? He knew how some of the village elders hated anything that would bring drastic change to their sleepy way of life…

"Sho! Hurry up!"

Forgetting about the strange object he carried with them, Sho took off at a short, dashing run to catch up with his friends.

The heat was still the same as it had been when Sho and his friend ventured into the woods, but the shadows were longer now, even if it was just be the slightest fraction, and the sun did not seem so harsh. Mizuki was running ahead of them, as though she was enjoying the way her new robes flowed behind her as she ran, completely oblivious to the ominous shadow that had been lurking among the trees that Sho still felt.

A sudden flurry of noise from above drew Sho's attention skyward, stopping all three of them in their tracks. The deafening din of shrieks and cries came from the thousands of birds that had suddenly burst from the forest canopy in such numbers that they turned the sky black.

"What's happening?" Mizuki cried as she ran back towards Sho and her brother, sheltering herself in between them. "What's gotten into them?"

"I don't know!" Tetsuro said, his eyes glued to the sky and the throng of birds that filled it. "It looks like something spooked them."

"But what? What could have scared them, and all at once?" Mizuki said, her voice distressed.

Sho and Tetsuro exchanged anxious, knowing looks with each other, their thoughts both drawn back to the Ehcko wolf they had seen not moments before. But a single monster could not have been the cause for every single bird in the forest to take flight in such a panic. A whole pack of wolves could not have even been capable of it. So what in the world could it have possibly been?

Sho shivered. "Let's get back to town."

The small farming village of Doblan lay nestled in the basin of the Ehcko Valley, hugged closely by the steady, gently flowing Orvon River; a sleepy little place of hard-working, honest folk who lived out their simple, content lives without so much of a care of the outside world. The village was composed mostly of small, single-storied thatched-roof houses bordered by white picket fences around neatly kept gardens. From the crest of the hill on which they stood, the group of friends had a clear view of the modest village green, the small domed huts where Doblin's mages resided, all amongst the tall wooden windmills that rose out of the village like sunflowers in a field. It was all any of them had ever known. It might as well have been their entire world.

They made their way down the gentle slope of the hill back towards the town, the long grass rippling in the breeze that promised to bring a cooler evening in contrast to the heat of the day. Once they reached the hard-packed dirt road of Doblan, they bid each other farewell, taking opposite sides of the path that would take them to their homes. Tetsuro and Mizuki lived near the village green, where their father worked as the town's blacksmith. Sho and his father lived on the outer outskirts of the town, where the sparsely-spaced houses merged into the farmlands and grazing pastures. They lived together in a modest, one-story farmhouse, built in the traditional river rock and timber design as all the other structures in town, the roof tightly thatched to keep out the worse of the Ehcko Valley's weather. Their property was enclosed by low stone walls and a single waist-high gate in the front. Their farm was so small, in fact, that their barn – which was only really used to store sheering supplies, feed for the sheep, and their one old milk cow – that people often mistook it for a larger shed. About two dozen sheep continued to graze peacefully in the back pasture, without a care in the world. Sho sighed, almost with remorse as he looked onto the arms that he had always known as his home. It was his whole past, present, and quite possibly his future. It was a thought that was both comforting and depressing at the same time.

Before Sho crossed the threshold onto their farm, he cast a quick glance around for any sign of his father. The weight of the mysterious object that he and Tetsuro found was a prominent presence in the pouch that hung at his hip, and he had to get it up to his room and hidden before his father had the chance to track him down for that evening's chores. When Sho saw neither hide nor hair of his father outside, he quickly jumped over the low fence and quickly walked up the pebbled path towards their front door, hoping that his father was in the barn and not the house. He opened the door slowly to avoid its telltale creek, then peaked inside to make sure his father was not in the front room.

It was completely empty.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Sho stepped into the house, carefully closing the door behind him, then made a quick dash towards the ladder that led up to the loft that was used as Sho's bedroom. Like the rest of their home, Sho's room was small, humble, but still comfortable and homey, containing nothing more than his narrow bed, a chest of drawers that he used to keep his clothing in, and a table that held a chipped pitcher and wash basin. The only real thing of interest in the loft was the pile of books that sat at the foot of Sho's bed, all of them about fantastic adventures in far-away places, all lifetimes away from Doblin. They were perhaps the only means of escape that Sho would ever have.

Sho stepped onto the floor of his loft bedroom, ignoring everything else around him as he fished the object out of the pouch. He took another quick look at it – it really was unlike anything he had ever seen before – then took an old, empty pillowcase and shoved the object inside, pushing it under his bed and out of sight. Tetsuro was right. Only Master Kobe, the village's resident Red Mage, would be able to tell them what it was, and they would just have to wait until he returned from Nagi to know for sure.

With the mystery object safely hidden and out of the way, Sho took a moment to compose himself before descending back down the ladder to seek out his father, Fumio.

As he had expected, Fumio was found working in the barn, emerging just as Sho approached with a sack of feed hefted over his shoulder. "Ah, son, there you are!" Fumio greeted cheerfully, giving his teenaged son a wide smile. "I was just wondering if I was going to have to do all these chores by myself."

"Sorry, Dad. I got distracted." Sho said with a sheepish smile. "What has to be done?"

"First, we have to get fresh feed and water into the pen before we get the sheep in for the night…"

It seemed that no matter how much work was done during the day, it never seemed to make much of a difference. By the time the fence was repaired the sun had already begun its descent into the west, and the glow of the Jeroen nebula rose to take its place, its iridescent light staining the horizon purple. The sheep still needed to be rounded up, watered, and fed. As night fell across the land the summer heat was replaced by an unseasonably cold wind that chilled Sho through his thin linen shirt and to his very core. He paused as he stood on the threshold of the low fence that encircled his home, looking out towards the woods where he and Tetsuro found that strange object in the river. A sudden, unexplained feeling overtook him that suddenly made the hair on his arms and the back of his neck stand on end. The air felt electrified, as though a storm was approaching but had yet to break. Bt the sky was clear; there was not a cloud in the sky, giving Sho an unprecedented view of the heavens above. And yet the night was a little too quiet and felt a little too still; there was something in the air hat just felt… off. Wrong. Unnatural.

A hand clamped down on Sho's shoulder from behind, startling him so badly that he leapt away from his assailant, swinging around with his arms held up defensively in front of him only to see his father standing behind him, looking as surprised as Sho felt. "Good Haven, son, are you all right?"

"Yeah… Yes, fine." Sho said breathlessly, even though his heart was pounding and lurching painfully behind his ribs.

"Is there something wrong, Sho? You normally don't jump at shadows like that."

"I…" Sho glanced over his father's shoulder at his bedroom window, where he could visualize the strange object laying dormant under his bed. He sighed. "No, dad, I'm fine. I promise."

Fumio looked at his son for one long, skeptical moment, but ultimately decided to let the subject drop. "All right son, if you say so. Why don't you gather some firewood while I start dinner? Looking like tonight will be colder than it has been." Sho nodded shakily, but as he walked to the shed to gather said firewood, he glanced back at his father, who was looking up at the sky with a troubled expression on his face.

As Sho made his way back to the house while balancing a stack of firewood in his arms, he tried to dismiss the threatening feelings that seemed to be stalking him from the shadows. He looked down the valley towards Doblan. The lights of the homes danced in the darkness like so many flamebugs, and in the still air Sho could hear the windmills creaking on their axels. Somewhere down there, Tetsuro and Mizuki were probably sitting down to dinner with their parents, completely unaware of the foreboding atmosphere just outside their door.

_It had been a weird day all around,_ Sho thought to himself. _It could all be nothing more than an overactive imagination._ He tired to tell himself that there was nothing to worry about. Tomorrow morning he and Tetsuro would take the object to Master Kobe and it would no longer be any of their concern. However, as much as he tried to dismiss his paranoia on mere fancy, it would not be shaken off so easily. He knew that something _was_ going to happen. It was just a matter of _when_.


End file.
